[Avodah] Figs

[D&E-H Bannett]

Re RnCL's <<I never heard tell of taking one's fruit and 
vegetables to
the bodek of the town with the good eyesight.  Or can a 
household where
the wife is myopic be permitted larger bugs than those where 
her
eyesight is better?  Can we assume that 20/20 is the norm or
exceptionally good? ...>>

Sorry Chana, you got the story reversed.

Hyperopia, a.k.a. as far-sighted, makes it difficult to see 
things close to the eyes. Myopia, near-sighted, makes it 
difficult to see things far away.  The near-sighted person 
holds the object close to his eye which is the equivalent of 
using a magnifying glass.  So the myopic person would see 
smaller bugs not identified by the far-sighted.   the 
far-sighted have to hold things further away in order to 
focus and so cannot identify small objects.  After age 45 or 
so, if one doesn't get reading glasses we need longer and 
longer arms and so would be allowed larger and larger bugs.

BTW, I remember reading that the dead bug in figs is not 
completely disintegrated and can be seen but, except to the 
myopic or the knowledgeable person, would appear to be a 
black spot.


Shabbat Shalom,

David